Middle East

Iran’s Mokhber Threatens Regional Air Travel as Iraq’s Najaf Halts Iranian Flights

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Courtroom-sketch editorial illustration of an archival August 2025 morning view of the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, its golden dome and minarets rising above a tiled facade; context for the pilgrimage city whose airport halted flights to and from Iran, not the September 2026 suspension itself, rendered in warm ochre and slate-blue pastel strokes.

Iraq's Najaf International Airport suspended all flights to and from Iran from 2 a.m. on Friday, September 25, until further notice, its administration said. Airport director Hussein Muhanna said the halt followed a directive from the prime minister's office, after Iranian flights to Baghdad were also stopped amid a U.S. threat to sanction any airport serving sanctioned Iranian airlines. Hours later, Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, said flights in the region are "either free for everyone or for no one," warning that if Iran cannot fly and receive airport services, no country in the region will. Najaf is a main gateway for Iranian pilgrims visiting Shiite shrines.

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